Clematis plant named &#34;Zo11112&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Clematis  plant named ‘Zo11112’ that is characterized by its free flowering habit, its climbing habit, its flowers that are dark violet in color, its flowers that are facing upright, and its cold hardiness at least to U.S.D.A. Zone 6.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to European Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) Plant Breeder's Rights Application No. 2019/0727 filed on Mar. 18, 2019, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Botanical classification: Clematis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Zo11112’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Clematis of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name ‘Zo11112’. ‘Zo11112’ is a herbaceous perennial grown for use as a landscape plant.

The new Invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop hybrid cultivars of Clematis with unique and superior garden attributes. In particular, to develop a cultivar that is very free flowering and climbing.

The Inventor made a cross in 2007 between an unnamed proprietary plant in the Inventor's breeding program, reference no. 19960159, as the female parent and reference no. 19960212 as the male parent. The Inventor selected ‘Zo11112’ in 2011, as a single unique plant amongst the seedlings that resulted from the above cross.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood stem cuttings under the direction of the Inventor in Boskoop, The Netherlands in 2011. Asexual propagation by softwood stem cutting has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish Clematis ‘Zo11112’ as a unique cultivar of Clematis.

-   -   1. ‘Zo11112’ exhibits a free flowering habit.     -   2. ‘Zo11112’ exhibits a climbing habit.     -   3. ‘Zo11112’ exhibits flowers that are dark violet in color.     -   4. ‘Zo11112’ exhibits flowers that are facing upright.     -   5. ‘Zo11112’ exhibits cold hardiness at least to U.S.D.A. Zone         6.

The female parent of ‘Zo11112’ differs from ‘Zo11112’ in having flowers that are white in color, upright held flower buds, solitary flowers only and in having cold hardiness only to U.S.D.A. Zone 9. The male parent of ‘Zo11112’ differs from ‘Zo11112’ in having flowers that are pink in color, nodding in aspect and bell-shaped and in having cold hardiness to U.S.D.A. Zone 5. ‘Zo11112’ can be most closely compared to the Clematis cultivars ‘Venosa Violacea’ (not patented) and ‘Zo09088’ (not patented). Both are similar to ‘Zo11112’ in having upright flowers that violet in color and nodding flower buds. ‘Venosa Violacea’ differs from ‘Zo11112’ in having tepals that have prominent white colored veins and filaments that are green-white in color. ‘Zo09088’ differs from ‘Zo11112’ in having tepals with prominent veins and filaments that are green-white at the base, violet towards the anther and dark violet below the anther.

STATEMENT DESIGNATING A GRACE PERIOD UNDER 102(b)(1)

The Applicant claims prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date if need be. Information about the claimed plant was obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor; including but not limited to disclosures on websites by J Van Zoest, Plantarium, Nijssen tuin, Taylors Clematis, Thorncroft Clematis and Royal Horticultural Society.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Clematis. The photographs were taken of a three-year-old plant as grown outdoors in a 20-liter pot in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of ‘Zo11112’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers and flower buds of ‘Zo11112’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a cross section of a flower of ‘Zo11112’.

The colors of the photographs are as close as possible with the digital photography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Clematis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of three-year-old plants as grown outdoors in 20-Liter rose containers in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic and cultural conditions, as the cultivar has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with the 2015 Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—June into September in The Netherlands,             freely flowering.         -   Plant type.—Deciduous, blooms on new shoots, viticella type.         -   Plant habit.—Climbing.         -   Height and spread.—A three-year-old plant reaches an average             of 3 m in height and 60 cm in width when pruned in late             winter.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 6.         -   Diseases and pests.—No disease or pest problems have been             observed, however no susceptibility or resistance to             specific causative agents have been identified.         -   Root description.—Fleshy, 163C with tips 155C in color.         -   Propagation.—Softwood stem cuttings.         -   Time required for root initiation.—Roots develop in 5 weeks             in summer under greenhouse conditions.         -   Time required for root development.—75 to 90 days to fully             develop a 7-cm container from a 5 cm cutting.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Round with 6 ribbed angles.         -   Stem color.—Young; 143C, ribs 59A, mature; 183A.         -   Stem size.—Up to 3 m in length, up to 0.4 mm in diameter.         -   Stem surface.—Young; pubescent with short hairs; 156D in             color, mature; sparsely pubescent with short hairs.         -   Internode length.—Up to 9 cm.         -   Strength.—Very strong and flexible.         -   Branching.—From the base. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Division.—Leaf; pinnate, leaflet; simple with lower pair             occasionally sub-ternate.         -   Leaf size.—Up to 18 cm in length and 13 cm in width.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf fragrance.—Sharp (unpleasant) fragrance.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Leaflet size.—Terminal; up to 6 cm in length and up to 3 cm             in width.         -   Leaflet shape.—Terminal leaflet; lanceolate, side leaflet;             lanceolate to ovate.         -   Leaflet base.—Side leaflets; oblique, terminal leaflets;             sub-obtuse.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acuminate.         -   Leaflet venation.—Distinctly coarse; netted veins with             deeper veins, upper surface 138B in color, lower surface             138A in color.         -   Leaflet quantity.—3 to 5.         -   Leaflet margin.—Entire to cleft.         -   Leaflet surface.—Upper and lower surface; mostly glabrous,             slightly glossy and sparsely pubescent.         -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 146A, young lower surface;             138A, mature upper surface; NN137A, tinged 59A, mature lower             surface; 138A.         -   Petioles.—Up to 6 cm in length, 1 mm in diameter, 146A in             color, round and slightly canaliculate in shape, aspect is             straight to outward, surface is mostly glabrous with a few             short hairs.         -   Petiolules.—Rounded and slightly canaliculate in shape, 146A             in color, sometimes slightly articulate below the leaflet,             terminal leaflet up to 2 cm in length, side leaflets up to             1.5 nun in length, both 8 mm in diameter, straight to             strongly curling, surface is sparsely pubescent. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—3-flowered dichasial cyme and solitary.         -   Inflorescence arrangement.—Terminal and axillary on young             shoots, flowering from bottom to top.         -   Inflorescence size.—Up to 20 cm in length, 20 cm in width             and 5 cm in depth when a 3-flowered cyme.         -   Peduncles.—Up to 9 cm in length and 1.2 mm in width, N77A in             color, round to very slightly ribbed in shape, surface             sparsely pubescent, strong.         -   Pedicels.—Up to 10 cm in length, average of 1 mm in             diameter, N77A in color, round in shape and slightly ribbed,             surface is sparsely hairy, strong.         -   Flower buds.—Nodding and becoming more upright when the buds             start to open, lanceolate in shape, acuminate apex, obtuse             base, up to 3 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter, N92A in             color, surface sparsely pubescent with short hairs on seams.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness of the flowers.—Individual flowers last 2 to 3             weeks.         -   Flower quantity.—20 to 50 flowers per plant.         -   Flower type.—Single.         -   Flower aspect.—Upright.         -   Flower shape.—Open campanulate to spreading.         -   Flower size.—Up to 8 cm in diameter and 2 cm in depth.         -   Flower sex.—Bisexual.         -   Receptacle.—144C in color and 3 mm in diameter.         -   Bracts.—Simple, ovate to broadly ovate in shape, lanceolate             in shape, up to 3.5 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, acute             apex, margins are entire, obtuse base, both surfaces mostly             glabrous with a few sparse hairs, color; upper surface 146A             with veins 138A, lower surface 138A with veins 146A.         -   Tepal number.—Average of 6.         -   Tepal shape.—Broadly elliptic.         -   Tepal aspect.—Spreading.         -   Tepal apex.—Acute to short mucronate.         -   Tepal base.—Broadly cuneate and widely overlapping.         -   Tepal margin.—Slightly ruffled.         -   Tepal surface.—Upper surface; glabrous, lower surface;             middle section has a few sparse hairs, margins are villous.         -   Tepal color.—Upper and lower surface when opening; N92 and             N89A, upper surface when fully open; N92A, N89A, and striped             71B especially towards apex, lower surface when fully open;             3 ribs N92A, between the ribs N92D, margins N92D.         -   Tepal size.—Up to 4.5 cm in length and an average of 4 cm in             width. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—Covered by outer stamens forming a pistil-like             urn shape, average of 30 to 40 pistils, up to 9 mm in             length, ovary; 144D in color and covered with silver             pubescent hairs 202B in color, style; 145C in color, surface             is silvery plumose 202B in color, stigma; slightly bent             outwards and slightly club-shaped, N92A in color, glabrous             surface.         -   Androecium.—50 to 75, filaments; up to 5 mm in length, 1 mm             in width and linear in shape, surface is glabrous with             pubescence below the anther, 145C in color, anthers; 4 mm in             length, 0.8 mm in width, linear in shape, and 145C in color,             glabrous surface, pollen; 4D in color and low in quantity,             connective; straight in aspect, 59A in color, glabrous             surface.         -   Seed.—Seed head; up to 2 cm in diameter, globular in shape,             usually not developed by self-pollination, seed; 0 to 5, 4             mm in length, 6 mm in width, 144C to 144A in color, sparsely             pubescent, seed style; up to 1.2 cm in length, 144C in color             with rim 144A and tiny spots of 59A towards the style,             surface is sparsely pubescent with silver hairs 202C in             color, seed stigma; strongly bent and 84D in color. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Clematis plant named ‘Zo11112’ as herein illustrated and described. 